Assignment 1 For this benchmark, you will create a week-long unit (five individual lessons) on life sciences integrated with health, preparing students for a science fair. The science fair unit will be based on the Life Sciences standards from NGSS integrated with health (aligned to national and state content standards).

Select a 1-8 grade level to design your unit. Use the “Class Profile” as background information on your students. Use the COE Lesson Plan template for each of the five lesson plans.

In your unit, design the five lesson plans so they:

Address the steps needed to prepare for a science fair:

1. Pick a topic to investigate
2. Research the topic
3. Create a hypothesis to test
4. Design the experiment to test the hypothesis
5. Collect data
6. Analyze the data and draw conclusions
7. Create a presentation of findings for the fair

Include classroom safety guidelines. Incorporate digital tools and resources.

Differentiate instruction based on the needs of students in the class.

Use a combination of instructional strategies (outlined below) that are best suited for each lesson and student.

Though it is not necessary to use all six of the strategies below, each chosen strategy should provide opportunities for all students to succeed.

1. Direct instruction
2. Indirect instruction
3. Collaborative learning
4. Experiential learning
5. Independent study
6. Interactive instruction

Along with the unit, submit a 250-500-word rationale that explains your reasoning behind your instructional strategies and choices.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

Assignment 2 (piggy back off assignment 1) Using the grade level, learning objectives, and standards you selected for your Benchmark Assignment, create a rubric that can be used to grade the science fair project. The rubric should clearly communicate expectations for executing a science fair project based on the life sciences integrated with health. It should also assess how well students completed the steps of creating their project, including picking a topic to investigate, background research, designing the experiment, collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.